The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-01-22
AN INTERESTING SPECTACLE AT A
NEW YORK WHARF.


e cent per gallon. This leaves him profit
OF ~ cents gallon, OF $40 for his morn
ing work.
Meanwhile the order is being carried out
The oil is in the company's works at Hunters
Point, making that delectable locality obi
ously odorous. A lighter is sent for II and
the 5000 gallons put on board. This oil
may be packed in two different ways--in or
binary barrels or in tin cans holding five gal
Ions each, two of which are boxed in a case
Of thin wood. This latter method Of packing
is employed mainly for fancy brands. A
word about lighters; They are broad, blunt
nosed, slooprigged boats, all deck except
little hole of cabin, and used about the har-
Dor for the transportation of merchandise to
and from vessels at anchor, OF from wharf to
wharf. They are thoroughly Unlocking, al
ways in the way, and only to DO excused for
existing on the score of their great usefulness
The lighters are on the rivers what the carts
arc on the streets. g - -
LADINo THE VESSEL.
I6e 81 safely aboard, the jolly captain and
his jolly crew Of one set their sail and bowl
along at a snail's pace down the East river
until they heave alongside the Valparaiso
ship. Then the jolly captain sticks his Pipe
in his hatband and tho loading OF the oil be-
gins. A huge double pulley technically
known as a block is suspended between the
mnstheads just over the hatchway, and
through it is recved rope long enough to
reach 10 the deck Of the lighter ON one side,
and, through a second block attached TO tho
planking, 70 a stationary engine on tho
wharf ON the other side On board the vessel
itself staging Is aITanged, level with the top
OF the bulwarlts and reaching TO the edge Of
the hatchwny, and then the men descend
perilous and shaking ladders and disappear
IN the echoing blackness beneath the lowest
deck. The oil Is now in charge Of the steve
dore-a man who makes a business OF loading
and unloading vessels, hiring such laborers
as he needs from tie crowds of men hanging
about the wharves waiting for such chance to
earn dollar, and who are called 'longshore-
rpen. All being ready the men on the lighter
pile up eight or ten boxes In double tier,
pass around them fold OF rope called
sling, and attach the iron hook at the end of
the tackle; the man on the dock whistles
shrill "Go aheadlp 10 the engineer, whose
drum rapidly winds up the rope until the
slingful of boxes swings over the deck, when
1t Is seized by brawny arms and guided over
the hatchway, when, obedient to the signal,
"Let gol' the engineer permits his drum TO
fly back, and the burden drops like shot to
the tune of "Stand from mderiv There the
tackle is quickly unlocked, an empty sling
sent up, and then the boxes are rapidly
slowed away. their number having been re.
corded by the shipping clerk in his memo
randum book.
The object TO; be attained-the absolute
necessity-in slowing is to present all jostling
between articles Of the cargo, and the boxes
OF oil are crowded in sidewise, any way to
hold them tightly together, every crevicc be-
ing filed with wooden wedges, SO that there
shall not be the least movement. BY this time
the men above have filed another sling, the
whistle sounds again. the tackle crealns, the
"yo-he-e-ye, oh-stand from un-n-n-der ~ Is
heard, and down comes another dozen cases
10 help fill the belly Of the insatiate monster
{ When all the boxes are in the hold, the officer
in charge of the ship fills out the form of re-
ceipt called bill of ladingn This is sent to
the office OF the owners OF the oil, and II found
correct, several copies are signed by the cap
tain-one for himself, kept by the ships
owners, another for the shipper, and a third,
at least, TO be sent to the consignees in Valpa-
raise as guide to their port of the transac-
ton, for the freightage Is paid ordinarily
upon delivery of the consignment rather than
in advance
OTHER MERCHANDISE.
The process above described Is substantially
that used In loading whatever be the mer
chandise shipped. The main MISUNDERSTANDING
across the decks, broad gangplanks hung over
the ships side to prevent marring her paint
complicated block tackle and steam engine tc
wind it or or horse power to walk away witt
1t, men to manage the great weight swung
about so easily by the tackle--these are al
ways present, and only the details vary. II
barrels or the cylindrical iron cases in which
sscaustic soda and other chemicals are packed
arc to be lifted there are attached TO tho enc
of the hosting rope two iron arms witt
curved ends, like half-closed fingers which
clutch the chains but often three OF
four barrels or heavy hogshead OF tobacco
or sugar are put in sling. Bales of cotton
rags, jute, mating, ETC., are clutched on op
posite sides by graphing hooks similar tc
those used in handling ice, which dig into
their soft Sides but this will not do for bales
OF cloth, upon which you see printed the
warning; "Use no hooks" Iron rails are
caught with clamps just In the middle, and
being thus balanced, are easily guided by one
man, end foremost, through a little door in
the side OF the vessel, and landed on hand
truck, whence they are Ngain swung to Their
resting place by tackle coming down through
the hatchway. Railroad iron Is much used
for ballast in departing ships. 1t lies dead
weight, several layers deep, down in the bot
tom OF the hold, and the floors Of each of. the
lower decks are usually paved with double
layer Of it, upon which the other cargo Is
laid. II the merchandise over ii is light the
rails are fastened down by cross ties Of tim
Der.
The ease with which exceedingly heavy
bodies are handled by the stevedore's men Is
remarkable, The hatchways are often just
large enough to let package through, and
frequently the space between decks is so cir
cumscribed that the men have hardly room
TO move, yet by sl1llfully landing the hogs
shead, or boxed piano, or huge piece of ma
emery, as it is lowered to them by the tackle
by prying it up and twisting it over with iron
bars, pulling ii with cotton hooks and push
ing 1t with brawny hands and shoulders, sit
ting down four or five in row against d
buikhead and showing with their feet, they
slowly work the unwleldy mass into its cor.
ner and brace 1t firmly by wedges until lis
successor is placed. Brooklyn Eagle